GREATER LANDOVER, Md. — Outside of FedEx Field on Monday, two former employees of the Washington Football Team called on the National Football League (NFL) to release the results of a massive investigation into the work culture and controversial allegations dealing with the franchise.
Former Washington cheerleader Melanie Coburn and former Washington broadcast employee Megan Imbert spoke to reporters just hours before the team kicked off on Monday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks, which also happened to be the team's "Inspire Change" game.
Both Coburn and Imbert told WUSA9 that they participated in the investigation, which involved more than 100 interviews and going through hundreds of thousands of emails.
The investigation came after the Washington Post released an explosive story last year detailing allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse from former team employees.
The Post uncovered even more controversy with the team when reports came out of lewd videos allegedly made of the cheerleaders without their knowledge years ago. The case was later settled in court.
On Monday, Imbert described a toxic work environment with the team.
"Sexual harassment every day, comments made about our bodies, what people would want to do to our bodies, touching inappropriately," she said. "Every single day, there was something."
WUSA9 reached out to the Washington Football Team about the allegations on Monday but did not receive a response.
Following the investigation done by the NFL, the league fined the Washington Football Team $10 million earlier this year.
Details of the findings have not been made public.
Coburn and Imbert called the gathering on Monday the "#ReleaseTheReport" protest while they donned shirts clad in team colors with the hashtag.
"All the NFL fans deserve to know the truth so that you know the workplaces that their players, staff people, and family members who work here are working in," Coburn said.
"We’re here to make a stand because we’re trying to inspire change and have progress for a better workplace environment," Imbert added. "We’re here about accountability and transparency. We can redact our names. There are over 120 participants and we deserve to have the findings be shown to the public so there’s actual accountability.”
Imbert said she and others have been working with members of Congress to get the NFL to publicly release the investigative report.
She described feeling fear going up against the team but said something needed to be done to make sure others don't experience what the former cheerleaders allegedly did.
"It’s terrifying when you’re up against billions of dollars," Imbert said. "Even though we’re scared, this is what needs to happen in order for society to evolve. This is a moment in time that we can’t let pass by.”
Both Coburn and Imbert said they would be willing to testify in front of leaders if Congress calls for a hearing on the matter. Moving forward, they planned to keep reaching out to elected officials in hopes of bringing about change.
"Congress’s involvement and interest definitely makes me think that this is not going away," Imbert said.
"We want to continue to push because we know they have the power to really make the NFL provide the documents and hopefully the report," Coburn added. "I’m here to be their voice for those that have been silenced."